Our Blues

I am guilty of repeating superlatives when describing dramas. Then when it comes to a show I truly, madly and deeply love I am left wondering how best to convey my feelings.

 

Masterpiece. There’s a superlative that I haven’t used often. Featuring a stacked cast and beautiful writing, Our Blues is a stone-cold slice of life masterpiece.

 

Telling the stories of a group of people living in a small fishing community on Jeju Island, Our Blues explores themes of friendship and family, love and betrayal, joy and depression, life and death, hope and regret.

 

This is Hometown Cha Cha Cha’s deeper, darker and more realistic cousin.

 

Each story in Our Blues occupies between one and three episodes with enough weight and emotional complexity to fill an entire 16 episode show.

 

Such material requires an impressive cast and Our Blues has this and more. This show’s cast is phenomenal – including Shin Min A, Kim Woo Bin, Lee Byung Hun, Han Jin Min and Lee Jung Eun. All bring their A game and give stunning performances.

 

If I had to pick my favourite (don’t make me), it would be Lee Byung Hun’s moving portrayal of Lee Dong Seok.

 

Thankfully, you don’t have to say goodbye to any beloved characters as Our Blues moves from one story to the next. All the narrative threads intertwine and the show feels richer and more authentic as a result.

 

It must be noted that Our Blues is not always an easy watch. There’s tension, angst and deep sadness (it made me cry during almost every episode). One storyline examines a character’s suicidal ideation, another explores abortion. The show highlights many important, thought-provoking issues and handles them with sensitivity and minimal “drama world” convenience.

 

However, Our Blues never feels preachy or unbearably heavy. It is incredibly entertaining with comedy, fun and romance to spare. (I doubt that I will ever find as much joy in watching a three-legged race.) There are as many heart-warming moments as there are heart breaking scenes and the OST is fantastic – this journey to Jeju is a trip worth taking.